Deadline: 12-Apr-23
The European Commission (EC) is launching proposals for Closing the research gaps on Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) in support of global assessments.
Scope
- To be able to deliver ocean forecasts and early warnings, climate projections and assessments and protect ocean health and its benefits, it is vital to measure Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). The Essential Climate Variables and Essential Ocean Variables form the basis of the Global Climate Indicators that contain key information for the most relevant areas of climate change. The physics, chemistry, biology and biodiversity (including microbes and macro-organisms) of the ocean system are irrevocably interlinked. Ocean ecosystems are subject to a multitude of stressors, including changes in ocean physics and biogeochemistry, and direct anthropogenic influences.
- Implementation of protective and adaptive measures for ocean ecosystems sustainable management and conservation requires a combination of ocean observations with analysis and prediction tools that can guide assessments of the current state of ocean ecosystems, elucidate ongoing trends and shifts, anticipate impacts of climate change and management policies and provide decision makers and the public with the necessary information to assess the impact of policy decisions. In physical oceanography, essential variables have been collected globally in a standardized manner providing valuable input to the IPCC. Expansion of biogeochemical and ecological observation systems should allow for significant advances in the development and application of analysis and prediction tools for ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystems, production of biodiversity essential variables and associated climate records, with multiple societal benefits. This requires further standardisation and improved utilisation of existing sensors, as well as exploration and development of new sensor technology, suitable for ships, mooring and autonomous platforms, increased use of emerging remote sensing technologies at higher resolution.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
Successful proposal results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Further developed key ocean monitoring indicators, Essential Climate Variables (ECVs from GCOS), Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs from GOOS) in compliance with international programmes (IPCC, WOA, IPBES, CMIP, CLIVAR, Ocean Health Index, UN Decade, ARGO) that support international global assessments and foster the development of a regional approach to ocean climate monitoring and reporting, overcoming current limitations and gaps;
- Further improved Earth System Models (ESMs) representing key physical, biogeochemical and biological processes in the ocean with reduced uncertainty of climate change projections at regional scales, and reduced biases (i.e. in the WCRP Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP7) models for ocean and polar regions);
- Better understood links between ocean physical, biogeochemical and biodiversity (including microbes and macro-organisms) variability over time, and the impacts of environmental stressors (e.g., warming, extreme events, ocean deoxygenation, and acidification) on ocean health, GHG sources and sinks, biology and ecosystems, as well as advanced understanding and science in support of adaptation and resilience of natural and managed marine and polar ecosystems in the context of a changing climate, including its interaction with other natural or anthropogenic stressors like pollutants;
- Strengthened development of common, agreed standards for climate records content, format, quality and validation methodology;
- Enabled evidence-based decision–making (e.g., developing early warning ocean climate indicators); Sustained European leadership in ocean–climate–biodiversity science nexus supporting EU programmes e.g., the Copernicus climate service, marine service, EEA / JRC reporting and complementing other relevant European programmes (e.g., science programme of the European Space Agency); Significant contribution to the implementation of the European Green Deal and its climate and biodiversity objectives, the EU maritime strategy, to the development of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean[2] (both data and models components), and to global scientific assessments, such as the IPCC, IPBES and WOA, as well as to the UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, UN Decade of Ocean Science and UN SDGs 13 and 14.
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions,
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States,
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- the following low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.